The season is officially halfway done, and the Skins are a surprising 6-2. Some games (the Rams) might have gotten away,

but in some others, the team was able to hold on. So, lets take a look at how the team has done thus far:

OVERALL: 6-2 is good. Wins at Dallas, at Philly and at home for New Orleans are good. Losing at the Giants is long forgotten, and the Rams game appears to be an aberration. Like I've said before, if you told me 6-2 before the season started, I would have taken it without second thought. This stretch of schedule featured some of the easier games the team had all season, but like the old saying goes: you can only beat those teams on your schedule.

Grade: B+

COACHING: Jim Zorn has been better than expected. He doesn't look like a rookie head coach based on his decisions and game management. He also looks like a veteran OC with the way he's called some of the games. Mistakes, yes. But overall much better than I expected.

On the defensive side, Blache is good at 2 things: giving quotes and calling a game. I really like the way he has worked with his personnel and really developed a pretty good defense. They've had some key injuries (Taylor, Doughty, Springs) but they've worked around it. They are 6th in yards allowed at 278.1 and 8th in scoring defense after giving up 18.1 points a game. I'd like to see more turnovers, but I always take what I can get. In the NFL, the magic number is 20: you score more than that consistently, you should win because you should be able to hold teams to that. This defense does.

Grade: A-

OFFENSE: Two words: Clinton Portis. He's been on fire all year, but especially after getting called out. Thank you, Brian Mitchell. He leads the league in rushing with 944 yards. But since he's had an extra game (no bye week yet), it might be misleading to say that the next highest rusher is Adrian Peterson with 684, or 260 yards less. So, I'll go to the 118.0 yards per game for Portis compared to Peterson's 97.7. Umm... yeah. He's been that good. Big props to the offensive line.

Almost under the radar is JC's season. He has finally lived up to the 1st round QB hype and is one of only 6 QBs with a 100+ rating and his 100.5 is good for 5th. That puts him ahead of the likes of Manning (both), Favre, and Roethlisberger. Not too shabby. Of starting QBs, he's the only one to have 0 INTs and has only 1 fumble lost all year. Talk about protecting the football. Again, big ups to the offensive line for allowing JC time and giving up only 16 sacks.

Overall, the offense is towards the bottom of the league in points (20.6) but they are towards the top in TOP (6th at 32:30), a stat I personally don't put much stock in but some of you might. A stat I like better is 1st downs (7th at 20.3 per game). Mike Leach taught me that. Well, not personally. #rd down percentage is middle of the pack at 38.8%, but the 4th down percentage is tied for 2nd best at 80% or 4 for 5. Good stuff.

Grade: B (Portis gets an A++.)

DEFENSE: This phase has carried the team thus far this year. London Fletcher is the man. Rookie Chris Horton has proven himself in place of Doughty, but the man I want to spotlight is Carlos Rogers. He, along with fellow 2005 1st rounder Jason Campbell have both come of age this year. Rogers, coming off a knee injury that ended his 2007 season, has looked like the corner the team thought they were getting when they drafted him 9th overall.

The only problem with the defense is the pass rush (10.0 is 8 games). A lot of that can be chalked up to Jason Taylor's injury, but still... they need to get to the opponent's QB. The 5 Forced fumbles and 5 INTs (3 from Horton) are good, but pressure from the front 4 makes everyone else better. The 35.6 3rd down percentage is another good thing.

Grade: A-

SPECIAL TEAMS: Yikes. Anytime you replace a punter mid-season, there have been some problems. Rookie Durant Brooks was just flat out bad. He had some good punts, but he was inconsistent... which is pretty much the one thing an NFL punter cannot be. To his credit, P Ryan Plackemeier has been pretty okay since joining the team, but the team is still dead last in punting with a 39.1 yard average. Double yikes.

The incumbent K Suisham has been pretty okay as well. Only 5 touchbacks, but the coverage teams have been there to make plays. He's also 16 for 21 on FGs, but at least one of those has been blamed on Brooks' holding. Not great but okay.

As usual, KR Rock Cartwright is near the top of the league with a 25.5 yard average and a long of 50. That's consistency. The team has a 25.1 yard average overall. The PR is middle of the pack at 9.4 yards per return, but that's largely due to Moss's return for a TD last game. ARE has been less than spectacular. They have the second most chances in the league (26, 1 behind Tampa Bay) to this point and they need to capitalize on them, which will help the offense score more points. The defense has done it's job, the returners need to make the most of it.

Grade: C-/D+

That's all I got for now. SP sent me this link to another report card, which I have not looked at for this post. So, tell me if I'm in line with things or if I'm just crazy. As always, leave it in the comments section.

- - -

Week 9 Blogger Deathsport. Because I can:

BAL @ CLE (-1.5)

TB (-8.5) @ KC

NYJ @ BUF (-5.5)

ARZ (-3) @ STL

DET @ CHI (-13)

HOU @ MIN (-4.5)

GB @ TEN (-5.5)

JAX (-8) @ CIN

MIA @ DEN (-3)

DAL @ NYG (-9)

PHI (-7) @ SEA

ATL (-3) @ OAK

NE @ IND (-5.5)

Monday

PIT @ WAS (-1.5) 24-21.

I'm out. Hit it up.

Indebted to Dillweed of Post Game Heroes [ED NOTE: Their post is up here] for taking the iniative on the initial Redskins Roundtable, currently involving just a small smattering of questions between myself, Dillweed, and Ben of the Curly R [ED Note: His post is up here] (who also revealed his Blogger Deathsport picks; he's actually good). Questions w/ answers from Ben and Dillweed posted below, make sure you check their sites periodically throughout the day for my responses to their questions. Enjoy:

1.  What do you consider our biggest strength going into the regular season?

Dillweed: I agree with Will, it's the linebackers.  Our running backs are good…not great, and the defensive line seems to be average at best.  It's hard to say Corners are our strength when the D-line (and blitzes) aren't getting to the quarterback.  With LaRon Landry back our safety position looks a lot stronger, but I have a huge concern at Strong Safety.  We just need to
find a guy that can occasionally cover while primarily being a weapon in
the box, and I don't think we've found that guy just yet.  On offense, our
passing game is unknown to us…we'll find out a lot more about it this
Thursday.

Ben: It has got to be the defense, despite some changes in personnel, Phillip Daniels out and Jason Taylor in, and some injuries, safety LaRon Landry's hamstring, linebacker Marcus Washington's hip and cornerback Shawn Springs bruised calf, this unit has managed the proverbial continuity Joe Gibbs was hoping for at the end of his second term in Washington.  They get started a little dinged with linebacker Rocky McIntosh and cornerback Carlos Rogers coming back from inury in addition to those mentioned above, this unit should get better as the season wears on.

2.  What about the team makes you want to resort to alcohol abuse to
help numb the pain?

Dillweed: Reed Doughty.  It's really not all his fault either…we have been
absolutely spoiled with Sean Taylor and LaRon Landry.  Doughty's mistakes
in the run and passing game have been amplified this preseason because of those two guys.  I still haven't adjusted to the fact that teams will
throw deep on us.  I mean just a year ago that was something you couldn't
do…ask Brett Favre.  If we had a defensive line that could apply pressure
then I wouldn't be so worried about having a weak link in coverage at
SS…but we don't.  And even if Doughty improves in his run defense, which I
think he will in a hurry, what does that leave us with…Adam Archueleta?

Ben: The FUD factor, fear, uncertainty and disarray.  Fear of weak offensive line play and nagging injuries, uncertainty in the strength of Jason Campbell's coming 2008 performance, disarray if the team gets off to a weak start or a large part of the team is simply not working right.

3.  Which NFC East team worries you the most?  How do you think we
will fare against our division foes?

Dillweed: With Sean Taylor, I never feared T.O.  I looked forward to playing him and seeing him get shut down almost every game.  But now…Dallas kinda scares me.  Giants are very physical but as long as Elijah is their QB I'm not too worried about them.  And the Eagles refuse to just open up the check book to hire ONE FREAKIN WR.  I'm so glad I'm not an Eagles fan.  It's one thing to just absolutely suck, but to have an obvious, and easily curable,
weakness never taken care of year after year…that's gotta make you
suicidal.  I think we split with the Giants, Eagles…and hopefully Dallas
too.

Ben: The Eagles, always the Eagles, they are the Redskins principal division rival now, I expect the Redskins will split with the Giants and Cowboys, depending whether the Eagles progress back toward the team they have been for most of the past decade or regress toward the end of the Andy Reid slash Donovan McNabb era, remember how surprising it felt to beat them in game two last season in Philadelphia and how unsurprising it felt to lose to them in Washington seven game later?  The Redskins are looking at best at 3-3 in the division, a more realistic assessment may be 2-4.

4.  What will our regular season record be?  How far do we make it
into the post-season (if at all)?

Dillweed: 9-7…Our running game and defense are the same…schematic wise at least, and I like the continuity on those fronts.  I think the passing game won't hurt us during the home games, JC seems to play a lot better at home. However, the away games are where JC will be tested and probably fail early on.  I think we go 6-2 at home and manage to pull out 3 wins on the
road.  If we make it to the playoffs, we might get one win, but I'd be
surprised (and really freakin happy) to see us go past that.

Ben: My walk through the schedule has the Redskins somewhere between 4-12 and 10-6, depending on whether this team comes together and stays together, or not.  If the Redskins finish 10-6 that should be good for a wild card playoff berth, maybe not, the NFC could be more competitive than the past two years, ie fewer 8-8 teams vying for playoff spots.

I'd like to expand this feature to either include more questions and/or more bloggers in the future, though give me some feedback for now on whether this is goodness or badness. It's greatness for me since Ben and Dillweed know more about the 'Skins than I do.

Via TORB (Gymnast of the Apocalypse!), Darrell Green is the people's choice:

The results are in on ESPN SportsNation’s “Franchise Players” poll, which purports to determine the “best of all time for every NFL team.” The winner for the Redskins is Darrell Green, although not by a particularly overwhelming majority: of 47,481 votes cast, Darrell has 29.7% of them, the lowest percentage of any team’s winner.

Updated numbers move Green even farther in the lead, now and finally with 37% of the vote, followed by Art Monk with 16.9%. In third is the actual greatest player in our franchise's history, Sammy Baugh with 16.3% of the vote.

I can't really blame the 53,077 people who couldn't correctly answer this question as the recent induction of both Green and Monk into the Hall of Fame no doubt played a huge role in their successful electoral campaigns. Also, most fans are like me; we aren't old enough to have seen Sammy Baugh play and thus don't have the same connection with him that we do with Darrell Green.

But, as far as facts go, Sammy Baugh was the greatest Redskin in the history of the franchise. Democracy be damned, I'm dictating:

Cold Hard Football Facts understands:

Face of the Redskins franchise: Sammy Baugh

It's an old franchise, but it's greatest player also happened to be one of its first. None of this is a criticism of either Monk or Green, both impossibly talented players by all accounts, but Sammy Baugh was good enough to transform the entire game. Before he showed up, the forward pass was a novelty that seemed to distant to catch on. And, indeed, the kind of accuracy with which he threw the ball would not catch on for the better part of many people's lifetimes. Two of the better means of calculating a player's success and dominance are:

1. How well he played relative to his contemporaries (because comparisons across eras are usually unfair)

2. How long a player's records hold. When I say comparisons across eras are usually unfair above, it's because they are: records are broken over time. The longer a player's stamp remains relevant, especially when he played over 50 years ago, the more implicative it is of his dominace.

Speaking to the first, consider that Sammy Baugh led the NFL in passing yards more than any other player (tied with Steve Young) for 6 full seasons. No other player has done so for 5 seasons. Peyton Manning, perhaps the greatest quarterback of my lifetime, has led the league in yards three times. Only Dan Marino led the NFL in completions more times than Baugh (six to five in Dan's favor). He had a higher completion % than anyone else in the league for 7 seasons, more than any player in NFL history besides a truly underrated Len Dawson (8 seasons). Joe Montana, by comparison, only led the league in completion % 5 times.

But by far Baugh's most impressive feat, and since we're talking about a guy who once led the league in passing, interceptions, and punting that's saying quite a bit, was his single season completion % of 1945. Amazingly, in an era when the forward pass was still becoming an ordinary part of the game, Baugh completed 70.33% of his passes. That was an impossible enough feat that it took every single quarterback following thirty seven years just to match and surpass that number... by .22 percent. Ken Anderson in 1982 was both the first AND THE LAST person to complete more passes than Sammy Baugh -- back in WW2! -- over the course of a single season. Baugh, 53 years ago, remains the 2nd most accurate single season passer in the league's history. The most hallowed records in the NFL are, probably, Walter Payton's career rushing yards record (broken by Emmit Smith) and Dan Marino's either single season passing touchdown record or his career touchdown record, both broken recently by Peyton Manning/Tom Brady and Brett Favre, respectively. Marino's records could hardly be called untouchable since they were touched in my short lifetime -- 1984 was the older of his accomplishments, bested twice in the past four years. Walter Payton, huge credit to him, only managed to reign supreme for ~ two decades.

Anyways, none of that takes into account what I briefly mentioned above; that Sammy Baugh might be one of the greatest defensive backs in the franchise's history (saying quite a bit considering the company he'd keep with Darrell Green) and he might be the greatest punter in league history. Everything I said above about surpassing peers and maintaining dominace across eras remainstrue for Sammy Baugh... the punter. His four seasons leading the league in punting yards remains a league record (tied only by Jerrel Wilson). His 45.10 average punting yards over the course of his career remained the highest in league history for 50 years, broken only recently and only by Shane Lechler. A guy who started punting in 1937 is still the second best punter in league history? Kidding me? Mat McBriar, an admittedly monstrous punter of our time, is third with a 44.68 average. Baugh's 1940 season average (51.40) has yet to be broken. I'm serious.

I'm also serious: Sammy Baugh was the greatest Redskin in the franchise's history and is probably the greatest single player in the history of the entire league. The fact that his records remain relevant approaches unbelievability. He is the single player most responsible for the development of the passing game which is now so fundamental to us newbies. Darrell Green and Art Monk are both extremely near and dear to my heart, but they aren't better than Slingin' Sammy Baugh. There's no shame in that.

While we're on the subject of the people's choice, I just want to give love to Curly R for cracking 100,000 hits. Best Redskins' blogger out there, he is, and that's saying something considering 'Skins fans have such a robust selection of talented writers from which to choose, excluding this space. I've said it before and will continue to say it: Curly R is at the top of my blogroll by design.

Having written this post, a new poll is going up and I expect you guys to answer it properly.

I appreciate ETVal's (of Big Blue View) efforts to get this thing up and running. He emailed the NFC East bloggers a while ago to solicit answers to 10 NFC related questions for the upcoming season and, a bit tardy, we finally started responding. I've got his answers and Bleeding Green Nation's answers (which I will schedule to post later this week, to spread it out). You can find my answers to his questions at BBV here.You'll find the questions and Ed's answers below, unedited. Enjoy:

The NFC East is brutal in terms of the depth and quality of its teams. Can you think of another conference that is even close in terms of talent and competitiveness?

BBV: No. The NFC East has four legitimate playoff caliber teams. In my mind, no other conference comes close to that kind of depth.



Was the Giants Super Bowl victory a fluke?

BBV: Absolutely not. It certainly was unexpected, but it wasn't a fluke. The Giants played incredibly, and they earned each victory. There weren't any crazy, fluke plays -- no 'Tuck Rule' plays or any of that nonsense. To me, the Giants are a talented team that had actually under-achieved for a long time. They finally had a stretch where they played up to their ability, and it came at the perfect time. That said, do I expect them to repeat? No. I expect them to be very good, but I'm not foolish enough to think they will win it all again.



What new player on any of the teams -- draft pick, free agent or trade acquisition -- will make the biggest impact within the division this season?

BBV: Adam Jones. He's a tremendous talent, but also potentially a tremendous trouble-maker. He could help the Cowboys reach the Super Bowl. Or, he could help them implode and miss the playoffs entirely.



Your team will win the division, and possibly the Super Bowl, if ...

BBV: First and foremost, Eli Manning stays healthy. I have no faith that the Giants can win games without him. Defensively, the Giants will need Mathias Kiwanuka healthy all season to make up for the retirement of Michael Strahan. Also, the development of young players like Aaron Ross, Terrell Thomas, Michael Johnson and No. 1 pick Kenny Phillips in the secondary could take this defense to another level.



Your team will finish last in the division if ...

BBV: Eli Manning can't stay healthy. Also, if those young players in the secondary don't develop the Giants will have difficulty covering people. Oh, and if they can't win some games at home this season. The Giants went 7-1 on the road in the regular season, but only 3-5 at home. They can't count on being so efficient on the road, so they have to win more often in the Meadowlands.



What team in the NFC has the best shot at keeping an NFC East team out of the Super Bowl?

BBV: The popular answer to that question these days is the Minnesota Vikings. But, I'm not buying that with Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. With Brett Favre, maybe, but not with Jackson. I don't believe in Gree Bay with Aaron Rodgers, either. I guess that leaves Seattle.



Give me one player on your team everyone else might not know about, but who could wind up making a name for himself this season.

BBV: Watch out for No. 1 pick Kenny Phillips. This guy is a heavy-hitting, play-making safety and if he isn't starting Week 1 he will force his way into the lineup shortly thereafter.



Rank the starting quarterbacks within the division.

BBV: Tony Romo
Eli Manning
Donovan McNabb
Jason Campbell

Giants fans will be mad at me for taking Romo here, so I need to qualify this answer. I don't think you can argue with the numbers that say Romo has been better game-in and game-out. As a Giants fan, though, would I trade Eli straight up to get Romo? Not a chance. Eli has proven that he is a winner. Romo has nice numbers and a celebrity girlfriend, but he hasn't proven that he can come up big when it matters most. Eli has, and I'll take that every time.



Rank the coaches within the division.

BBV: Tom Coughlin. I think there is little doubt he is, right now, top dog among coaches in the division. That's pretty amazing, but I think really hard to argue with.
Andy Reid.
Wade Phillips
Jim Zorn



Finally, what is your predicted order of finish in the NFC East? Why?

BBV: Giants
Cowboys
Redskins
Eagles

The Giants are defending Super Bowl champions. I say they are the favorites until someone knocks them off. I still think it's 50-50 on the Cowboys. They could win the whole enchilada, but they could also completely implode with that volatile roster and a lame-duck head coach and miss the playoffs entirely. I almost picked Dallas for last in this division, because I think an implosion of some sort in inevitable, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. The Redskins have talent, but they have a question mark at head coach. The Eagles are tough to figure. I just don't know about Andy Reid anymore, and McNabb's health is always a question.

Muchas gracias amigo. As always, make sure you pepper this thread with your own comments on BBV's answers. Even better, give your own short (or long, preferably long!) answers to the 10 questions above.

First, though, I'll open with my closing thoughts on TC from yesterday. I'm trying not to pilfer too much from the fine works of Gary Fitzgerald over at the Official Site, but he identified some compelling camp battles that deserve additional discussion. Moving along to...

Third Cornerback: Springs is number one, Fred Smoot is number two. If all goes well this is really just a battle for the temporary 3rd cornerback, as ostensibly Carlos Rogers occupies that spot (or pushes Smoot down into it) when he returns. I will be watching Rogers' rehab and subsequent return more carefully than whether Byron Westbrook can outmaneuver enough people to stay on the roster or whether Leigh Torrence ends up beating out newcomer J.T. Tryon (Note: I've also seen it spelled "Tyron" a non-trivial amount of times elsewhere; why can't we get this guy's name right?). Speaking of him, he represents a huge source of entertainment for the blogging community as heaping-big word thus far is he has a black belt in Fred Smoot style karate smacktalk.

Fifth Wide Receiver: Gary calls Moss, Antwaan Randle-El, and our two draft picks Devin Thomas and Michael Kelly as the locks. I would be extremely disappointed if it hashed out any other way. That leaves a lot of guys (six as of this writing) competing for one final receiver spot, though teams do carry six wide receivers sometimes, don't they? (Gary says prolly not because we'll have too many TEs.) Especially in this kind of offense? Anyways, I love James Thrash but I think with each passing year the likelihood he still has gas in the tank decreases, and he was a beloved man by the former offensive staff, now largely departed. However, a guy like Thrash is unique from, say, Burl Toler (who Gary Fitzgerald likes, and he'd know more about this battle than I would) because I think Toler can be tucked away on the practice squad, but unless we add Thrash to the lineup he's not going to be with the team in any capacity. I'll throw my support for Anthony Mix, perhaps irrationally. We got pretty worked up for no apparent logical reason earlier this offseason simply because Anthony Mix represented the largest receiver we have on a unit that lacked as much both in perception and actuality. Let's not discount his size: 6'5, 235 pounds, making him closer to Chris Cooley's size than he is to Malcolm Kelly's (our 2nd biggest receiver). That also gives him 35 pounds on any cornerback on our team, which should give you a somewhat good indication of how he matches up against cornerbacks in Re: size generally in this NFL. Burt Toler, on the other hand, is the 3rd lightest person listed on the roster, heavier than only Leigh Torrence and Cedrick Holt. Let me repeat, though, that Gary Fitzgerald would know a lot more about this battle than I would, and if he likes Toler than I'd suggest you pay attention to that guy through TC as well.

Finally, Punter: I have no hate for Derrick Frost and feel bad that it's come to this, but my position is that this ain't no jockeying for position. Teams invest resources into punters infrequently, and our team invested substantial -- for a punter at least -- resources into Durant Brooks. You don't draft a punter to give your current guy something to think about; you draft a punter to punt for you come Sunday. Derrick Frost is a decent NFL punter who will likely find a home after this battle plays out, but Brooks is loaded with potential and talent and should have little difficulty earning the spot on this team. If he doesn't, that will reflect poorly on the team's decision  to draft him, duh. If this battle drags on too long, then I'm going to be flustered.

As intriguing as positional battles are every year, the biggest story, in my opinion, will be the new offense. Coach Zorn is the newcomer here and although he has no competition for head coach, yet, he is still measured by the past moving forward. If this offense shows up equal to or better than Gibbs and Saunders offenses of the past few years, all hail Jim Zorn. If we flounder it will be all eyes on him. The word out of training camp this coming week is going to provide much insight on just how near or far this team is from getting the new offense, and that's going to matter towards the W-L department down the road.

Jason Campbell likewise has no (real) competition for his position heading into camp, but he could a year from now, or much sooner. If he can't take the next step this coming season (and this all assumes he doesn't end up watching his idol throw fooballs for us instead) then the team will begin the move in a different direction, as we are now four years into the Jason Campbell experiment. He'll have much latitude this year, from me at least, but by 2009 I'm going to need to see some improvement to remain behind him. Many of you have expressed perfectly reasonable concerns with or committment to JC and I very much look forward to seeing those two camps of fans argue over him this coming season. Whatever position you may inhabit on that issue, let's all hope he develops into a star.

Enough of me, now to the blognets:

First and foremost, a gigantic welcome to Mark Newgent, newest member of the Redskins internet chattering class and lifelong fan. His new blog, DC Redskins Examiner, is going up on the blogroll to the left here shortly and I'm looking forward to visiting his site daily. Kudos to the DC Examiner for diving into this whole "internet" thing. He also linked here, which makes him good people. This blog is comma will be big time and I encourage you to make it a daily stop. Mark Newgent is no joke; assuming his work out of the gate is any indication, he can write.

Big news for me personally is that Ben is back and all makes sense now. He's been all over the potential Brett Favre to Redskins story, more more more:

I bet if you ask Jason Campbell if bringing Brett Favre onto the Redskins would hurt his development as a quarterback Jason would say hail no son. Wouldn't you like to learn a thing or two on the job from your idol before he retires?

That's an interesting take but I think a debatable one. I think Ben would be 100% correct if JC were younger than me but, alas, he turns 27 this December. The time is now for Jason, imo. (Elsewhere, check out Sportz Assassin's take on Favre here, at Fanhouse.)

I thank Lee Gibbons of The Redskin Report for his grace in not embarrassing me.

Greg Trippiedi talks defensive backs at Hog Heaven and notes, among other things:

Reed Doughty

Reed Doughty was the biggest surprise of the season last year. He’s got a reputation as a run stuffing safety, and the numbers certainly suggest that’s his craft: No. 2 among all safeties in yards allowed per rush attempt (3.8). The team probably feels he can be a run stuffing dynamo (thanks, Mel Kiper) for the next ten years for them.

Where Doughty was more surprising was against the pass, where he actually had the numbers of a top no. 2 safety. Doughty ranked 26th in stop rate last year and 29th among safeties last year with 6.6 yards per attempt against the pass.

The training camp battle for Doughty's safety spot will be an interesting one to watch, but something to keep in mind throughout: no matter how it shakes out, Doughty will remain with the team. If he's the backup, if the defensive staff is convinced we have someone better, injury there won't kill the secondary. We know we can trust Reed to come in and play reliably, and that should never be discounted. It was circa 2006 when the defense was in shambles that an injured Pierson Prioleau necessitated the Adam Archuleta disaster, which turned into Troy Vincent into Vernon Fox into serious discussions of putting Shawn Springs at safety (even though we really didn't have the depth at corner to cover such a move). You're not going to win much of anything -- see, for example: 2006 -- unless you have injury insurance, and it's a good problem to have when your very capable starter from last year is being pushed for his position.

Over at Chris Cooley's blog (hat tip: Dan Steinberg), and I'm about a week late to this show, BEARD GROWING CONTEST:

I'm ready for a new adventure...Greatest facial hair of training camp is going to be this years motif. After leaving Wyoming for my summer vacation I came home with quite a start on my new project. It's been a little over two weeks since I've shaved and I'm as proud as I can be! One thing about my little endeavors is that it is much more fun if I can have a partner in crime, or as many participants as possible. So I've decided to start the Chris Cooley Beard Growing Contest.

Check the site for more details, all of which are awesome. I've already told my girlfriend (she said whatever, I suspect she doesn't take me seriously) that I intend to grow a mustache by the end of 2008, making me the only 25 year old in the continental United States with one. I look absolutely hideous without 1970s era facial hair, but with? Even more hideous, and it will be glorious. Pictures will be pending. In the meantime, I encourage all to participate in Cooley's Beard Growing Contest. Tickets can be won.

Speaking of tickets, CptChaosSidekick won the Redskins Rides contest. The good Cpt needs to email me so I can hook him up with those. For those of you who would likewise like to attend, perhaps with CptChaosSidekick, I'm told that more tickets will become available in the near future. Stay tuned, but while you wait you might keep an eye on Riggo's Rag, since free tickets will also be available there at some point. It is the blogosphere's position that no one should have to pay for tickets.

Homer McFanboy has an interview with Washington Times and Redskins 360 writer Ryan O'Halloran, who I read daily. Here's a teaser than I'll force you to go read the entire interview:

5. If you had to pick one Redskins player, who is most likely poised for a breakout season? Why?

Safety LaRon Landry. I got ripped pretty good for this last year but I think Landry is light years ahead of where Sean Taylor was at the same point of their career. Landry is athletically gifted like Taylor but, entering his second season, is already excellent at anticipating plays, making up for a teammates' mistake/blown assignment and sending messages with physical play. He might not make the Pro Bowl this season but he'll turn out to be the defense's best player.

David Elfin is also a Redskins 360 writer, and he has his take on Don Breaux retiring. I'm going to try and get an Ode post to Don up here later this week, as I think he's deserving of much more praise and admiration than he's received, given what he has done for/and thus what he means to Your Washington Redskins.

Finally, Chris Mottram is cool.

I've run out of time. Enjoy Training Camp; I'll be around to keep you updated to the extent that's possible, but don't be shy about posting FanShots or FanPosts. You never have to wait on me to get the word out on a story here at Hogs Haven. What I'm saying is, explore this space, register, comment, etc. This place is so much more entertaining when it isn't me talking to myself.

I'm going golfing. Enjoy all these tags.

A very good discussion erupted in another thread. Allskins stated what many Redskins fans are probably thinking but unwilling to admit publicly summarized thusly:

We can make all of the excuses we want…he’s had differnt coordinators, he had differnt coaches, he had to learn different systems…..THAT IS PART OF THE GAME!!! He is the next great redskin QB the same way Ramsey was the next great redskin QB….We need to face the music and realize that we wasted a 1st round pick and not keep believing that he is the answer. I really hope that I’m wrong and this is his break out year because being a die-hard fan I’d rather be wrong and see our team get a ring this year than see all the “experts” get paid big bucks and we are sitting at home in January…..I just don’t get why our great Campbell gets outperformed by all of his competition….Just check the stats and tell me I’m wrong

That is probably a bit stronger language than I would use, as I think there are compelling reasons not to yet give up on JC as the future here with the team. But the stats is what they is and hardly tell the story of a can't miss quarterback prospect worthy of all our hopes and dreams. The truth for me personally is that I have a lot at stake with Campbell and should just admit that honestly. When this team was going down in flames with Mark Brunell at the helm circa 2006, I made repeated, strongly worded appeals for Jason Campbell to replace him.

The purpose of this thread is to keep the discussion moving forward, as I think it's a worthwhile one for Redskins fans to have. Indeed, fans are having it right now in Ben's Brett Favre post because one can hardly consider a future with Brett at the helm without considering the impact that will have on Campbell. And the degree to which one supports a QB change hinges primarily on how one feels about Jason.

Where I stand will probably be revealed in the link I provide shortly but I'm going to do my best to stay objective throughout this engagement. I think I probably put too much faith into Patrick Ramsey (as TexSkins is quick to remind me when we discuss the former Redskins QB) and supported him longer than the stats or his actual on-field performance justified. I wish to commit against doing the same with Jason Campbell.

In any event, I'm not the only one who hasn't given up on him. Per ESPN The Mag's Top 5 players who will "blow up" (whatever that means) this season:

JASON CAMPBELL, QB, WASHINGTON REDSKINS We like this for a lot of reasons: (1) his new coach is Jim Zorn, a good QB in his own right; (2) Portis/Cooley and company give him a bunch of weapons; and (3) we like guys from undefeated teams in college—oh wait.

I concur that playing under Jim Zorn will certainly help Campbell as much or more than any other player on the team. But now I flee this discussion and submit it to readers to sort out amongst yourselves.

Elsewhere (ATTENTION CHRIS MOTTRAM: The stalker is absotively posilutely not, not, not played out and don't you dare change) Jamie Mottram hollared at me about a Chris Cooley interview available here or something. (As per usual, CptChaosSidekick was on point -- he misses nothing.) I was going to post about it but then Mr. Irrelevant went all blogotastic on my face and beat me to the punch, which is just as well 'cuz I found his take delicious. Among other topics discussed:

3. Albert Haynesworth is a piece of shit. Well, he didn’t say that in so many words, but he did, when asked about dirty players, tell a story about Haynesworth blindsiding him on an interception return in the Pro Bowl. There’s a thin line between that and Sean Taylor laying out Brian Moorman, sure, but at least that dude was carrying the ball. Plus, punter’s drop like a house of cards. And, oh yeah, Haynesworth is the same guy who stomped on Andre Gurode’s helmet-less head.

Mr I. has some pretty phenomenal commenters who do good works. A representative sampling:

Nationalcoholic Says:
July 14th, 2008 at 7:58 am

In Haynesworth’s defense, who hasn’t thought of cleating a Cowboy’s face?

Also, pretty much everything The Mayor types makes me laugh robust-like.

Final word and them I have to return to taking care of my infirm girlfriend, I just want to shout at The Curly R's Ben Folsom for doing right in this space in my weekend celebration: I was at a wedding, I was indeed in it, but couldn't have asked for a better website caretaker in my absence. Maybe if reader(s) ask real super nice style he'll decide to stick around on a regular basis. In truth, I wish Ben would join me here permanently at Hogs Haven and have told him as much through email, though now make my intentions known publicly in the hopes he posts more more more here. He usually disagrees with me which is why he's usually right, and this place is in desparate need of correctness, as I can't be bothered to provide much of it. But you already knew that.

[Note by Skin Patrol, 07/14/08 8:16 PM EDT ]
Readers are once again encouraged to check out Ben's Redskins Blog, The Curly R, on a daily basis. There is a reason it sits at the top of my Blogroll. Many thanks many times over to Ben for helping tend shop in my absence.

 
Which Brett Favre is still in there?

Brett Favre is coming out of a four month retirement and wants his unconditional release from Green Bay. They do not want to give it to him. Should be interesting.

Via Will at Hogs Haven a week ago a press release from an offshore casino appeared on a free PR site betting that Brett would not land with the Minnesota Vikings but rather with the Washington Redskins.

I think this could work.

Though I may be in the minority. This post at Hogs Haven by mmford10 was up twelve hours after the news and, the comments trended against the idea early and then the thread became about Jason Campbell, not Brett Favre. That was totally predictable.

For the Redskins this could be an historic opportunity. It may play some havoc with the team yes, that is nothing new for Redskins fans. Disruption has been the norm under Dan Snyder, the difference, now before us is a disruption that could be good for the team now and later. Here is my argument:

1. It's Brett Favre. A sure fire first ballot Hall of Famer. No one ever thought he would be available. Now that he is, you talk to him. Just to see what he is looking for. It's Brett freaking Favre. We all know he can still play.

2. The new Redskins offense. What Brett ran in Green Bay and what Jim Zorn brings to the Redskins come from the same source, Mike Holmgren. Brett would have a short learning curve and it would get the new offense humming from the start.

3. The old Redskins offense. The Redskins offense is tooled to win now, it is full of veterans, the line should be healthy back from injuries and if they can play like 2006 that would be great for the running game, west coast offense or not you still have to run the ball in the NFC Beast. Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, Chris Cooley and the New Guys are plenty of weapons through the air.

4. The Redskins defense. Turns out the transition from last year to this year should be pretty smooth after all. Even if they slip ten places the team will still be in the top half of the league. A good defense gives new offenses and new players breathing room.

5. It's a tradition. Brett Favre would not be the first high profile Packer to come to Washington. After the 1967 NFL season, Vince Lombardi stepped down as head coach of the Green Bay Packers and after a brief quote retirement unquote from coaching, he took the Packers' general manager position for one season in 1968 before getting restless and coming back to coaching with the Redskins. Prior to the 1969 season the Redskins had not had a winning campaign in 14 years. Under Vince they went 7-5-2, by 1971 George Allen was in place and the team went on to nine straight winning seasons.

The value proposition: it has to cost little or nothing. Ideally the Packers will release Brett after he promises not to sign with a division rival. Frankly I have a hard time seeing Brett play for the Vikings but I digress. If the team demands a trade then it should cost the Redskins not higher than a third round pick, even though it's Brett Favre the team cannot sacrifice any serious portion of the long term future for a player that will give the Redskins one, maybe two shots at the Super Bowl.

The impacts: the elephant in the room here is obviously Jason Campbell, the Redskins starting quarterback, a first round pick himself that cost the team three draft picks in trade to acquire. In the long run, bringing Brett Favre in may be good for Jason Campbell's career. Or it may begin the door closing on what was never going to work out in the first place. Follow me here.

In the first place, there is no shame in being Jason Campbell if you get benched for Brett Favre, that's not a lack of confidence in Jason, that's just taking advantage of an unbelieveable opportunity, if one of the greatest ever in your professional field were suddenly available and your company hired him and he happened to do your job, you could hardly fault the company, it just makes good business sense. Jason is a big boy, if Vinny Cerrato walks into Jason's house this week and tells him Jason will be backing up Brett Favre this year, Jason can not only take it, he may jump up and hug Vinny.

Second, Jason Campbell's position with this team in the long run is still very much open to question. Jason has shown the skills and the potential to be a franchise quarterback in the NFL, he has never lit us up and what we may still be interpreting as growing pains may simply be Jason's limitations. As Randy Cross likes to say on Sirius NFL Radio, that the guy you see early is pretty much the guy you will see always. Players can improve at the edges, rarely do we see a guy go from average to great.

This is not to say Jason is not a starting caliber quarterback. If the Redskins have a good plan they do not need the best QB to make it work. The team could well be successful within Jason's limits, I mean come on this team won Super Bowls with Mark Rypien and Joe Thiesmann, good QBs, not all time greats.

If Brett Favre were to come and wear number four (sorry Derrick Frost, with Durant Brooks and all, this could be a bad training camp experience for you) here in Washington, it would mean Jason would be the backup. It would give him a full year to get familiar with Jim Zorn's offense, I for one along with Rich Tandler and Will-A have plenty of questions as to whether Jason can be a reliable executor of this offense a) now, b) ever. From watching as much football as I have, I am not sure Jason is physically or mentally the type of QB for this type of system. Then again I did not think Steve Young would be successful after Joe Montana and did not envision Donovan McNabb as a west coast quarterback either.

In any event, a full year to learn the system without having to run it on game day might be conducive to Jason digesting the system and being better prepared when his number is called.

True, the Redskins would not get value from Jason's contract this year, which according to PC's awesome contract page, runs through 2010. Brett has a chance to come in and make a run at a title for a season or two then the team gets to decide whether they have seen enough out of Jason Campbell to merit re signing him to a long term deal as the franchise starter.

So this is not just about Brett Favre. All that money and those draft picks spent on Jason Campbell, that's all sunk cost. Jason is either going to be the team's long term solution or he is not, as commenter Allskins at Hogs Haven wrote yesterday, Patrick Ramsey was also a first round pick future of the franchise guy.

The odd man out in this scenario is Todd Collins, who though signed to a two year deal is nothing more than insurance anyway.  Colt Brennan will get a look as number three, he is a Jim Zorn pick and with or without Brett Favre, Colt will be salted away to see if he can run this team.  If he can, if he has the chops to be an NFL quarterback in this type of system, Jason Campbell may be out in two seasons anyway.

This team is ready to win now. The offensive line should be back, how many more seasons do they have in the tank? How about Clinton Portis? Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El are ready to win now. Chris Cooley is in the prime of his career. There is veteran leadership on a defense peppered with young players, stewardship of the team from old to young has to start happening in the next two to three seasons. Two or three seasons I'd rather not see an offense and a QB getting up to speed, getting untracked, whatever.

Jim Zorn's offense would be friendly to Brett. Let's see what it can do now and now wait until 2010.



Compostite image by me. Brett Favre left image from here, Brett Favre right image from here.

The amount of money I'm willing to bet that Brett Favre will be a Washington Redskins next season = zero, pending some really alluring odds that could make me rich rich rich so long as I box it with equally unlikely scenarios such as the Patriots sacking Tate Glasscock in the endzone to ultimately win 8-6. What am I talking about? Glasscock.

The only reason I mention this Brett Favre to Redskins nonsense is because it is now the 2nd time I've heard it, though don't ask me to recall from whence it came in the first. All I know is, an anonymous gambling entity (I call him Gamblor!) known only as "LazerWager" makes the case in strong terms. See for yourself:

While most sports journalist and radio hosts are hyping the Minnesota Vikings as Favre's next team, LazerWager suggests the Washington Redskins are the perfect fit for Favre's return this year. 'Favre has too much respect for his former teammates and fans to join a rival from the NFC North. And the Packers don't want to face him two times this season,' stated DelGato.

Washington's roster provides plenty of targets in Chris Cooley, Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle El. All three receivers caught 50 passes or more for at least 700 yards, even with Jason Cambell and Todd Collins splitting time at the quarterback position.

One might go on to say especially with Todd Collins splitting time at quarterback as he was a full 2 yards an attempt better than JC last year, which may not sound like much but is a magical number of magnitude that also partially distinguishes the career of Joe Montana from that of Chuck Fusina. Who knew?

None of which is said to dog Jason Campbell, or Chuck Fusina for that matter, but let's not forget that Todd Collins was very much the cause and not a hinderance of having three receiving targets accomplish arbitrary goals that may interest only those of us who write Redskins blogs as a hobby.

More than what Santana Moss, Antwaan Randle El, and Cooley accomplished, the devil or angel on Favre's shoulder shouldn't forget that we also drafted a few really tall, really hyped kids in Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly. Brett loves to throw passes into coverage and against many nickel and dime backs that won't necessarily hurt him so long as the people on the receiving end are as large, strong, and sure-handed as two of our 2nd round picks. Fred Davis? He's not small.

Although I think rumors of Favre-to-Washington are greatly exaggerated, don't interpret my repeating them as evidence of me wanting Jason Campbell anywhere but as the starting QB of the Redskins. Like Tandler, I have my questions in Re: Campbell, but remain optimistic that he's the player who serves to gain the most from having Head Coach and former QB and former QB Coach Jim Zorn tending shop. My concerns with Jim Zorn do not involve his ability to develop zee quarterbacks, a skill he's proven almost beyond reproach, but rather with ability to captain the entire ship, for which he's as proven as this author.

Hey so what about that Brett Favre guy, yea?

As readers are well aware, this space is big, big time on Pete Schmitt. I've already called Pete Schmitt as a lock to make the team, and chose him in our Adopt-A-Redskin program to follow throughout the offseason. However much I appreciated Pete Schmitt then, consider it doubled and then some now, as he very graciously agreed to take time out of his busy schedule to answer a few of my questions. Below you'll find an interview with him where he discusses, among other things, the changing coaching staff, Mike Sellers, the normalcy of a Midwestern accent, delicious Miller Lite, and the very fascinating process he's currently in that can turn a substitute teacher into a Professional Football player overnight. Please enjoy. Side note: I am indebted to Pete Schmitt's agent, John Perla, Jr, for his assistance in setting this up. As far as Hogs Haven is concerned, John is the best agent in the biz.

Hogs Haven: This is actually your second stint with the Redskins, as you spent the 2007 season with the team until a shoulder injury ended with you off the roster. How is the shoulder feeling and will it have any impact on your making the team this season?

Pete Schmitt: The shoulder is back to where I want it to be.  It was very frustrating how everything went down last year, especially with the position I was in heading into training camp '07.  I have regained all my strength back in the shoulder and as far as I'm concerned, it's 100%.  I've been really working both of the shoulders this offseason to try and avoid something like this happening again. 

Hogs Haven: In College you were an All-WIAC tight end but are now being groomed, as a professional player, as a fullback. What's been the hardest part of that transition?

Pete Schmitt: The biggest challenge of the position change for me was getting used to blocking in space.  At the DIII Level, I pretty much lined up in the tight end position every play.  Now in the backfield, there's a lot of distance between you and a linebacker for example.  That took a little adjusting, but it's fun in the same way because you can use some athleticism working in that open space.  Also, I had never taken a handoff before rookie camp last year, so that has taken some getting used to. 

HH: Your first stint with the team was under the Joe Gibbs regime, but you apparently impressed someone within the organization enough to get a second chance months after Coach Gibbs retired and not too long after Jim Zorn was named the Head Coach. There's still some coaching continuity between the two regimes, even on offense, specifically with guys like Joe Bugel and Rennie Simmons. Any idea who went to bat for you the 2nd time around, if anyone? 

PS: Not sure who went to bat for me...haha, but it happened.  I just am thankful that the front office wanted to give me another chance.  It's not very often that an undrafted rookie gets a second opportunity after a coaching staff change, but I was lucky enough to get that break and now I can give it everything I got one more time. 

HH: You spent a decent amount of time under Coach Gibbs in '07 and now are a couple months into the Jim Zorn era, especially with practices gearing up. What is the biggest difference you've noticed between the two coaches and staffs?

PS: They both brought two different styles of football.  Coach Gibbs was guy who wanted to pound the ball as much as he could, where as Coach Zorn, being a quarterback, likes to attack with the passing game, but at the same time, run the ball successfully as well.  They both have/had systems in place that worked very well, and I think that the new system really will be successful.  Also, I feel a lot of guys feel this is a fresh start, especially on offense, and a new opportunity to show the coaches you can play.

HH: Take us through your second re-signing, as this is a process fans aren't that familiar with. What were you doing when you got the call to rejoin the team? Who was on the other end the phone?

PS: This was a pretty different situation.  Initially, I was substitute teaching, and I got a call from my agent saying they were interested in bringing me out for a workout and take another look at me, but I didn't get a date.  Then, while on vacation in Florida in the end of March, I got a call from my agent on a Monday and he told me I had a workout in D.C. on Wednesday.  So, I flew out of Pensacola at 6am on Wednesday, worked out and got a physical around noon, signed with them directly after the workout and flew back to vacation in Florida around 4pm.  Not quite the interruption you would expect on a vacation, but a very welcome one at the least.

HH: It's a difficult enough task for an undrafted rookie free agent to make a squad, but then something horrible happens like an injury. Did you ever question for a second that your professional career was perhaps slipping away? What did you do (besides rehabbing the injury) to make sure that you were still in a position to get that phone call to join the team?

PS: It definitely crossed my mind right when the injury happened.  It was in the second practice on about the 5th day of camp.  I knew right when it happened that something wasn’t right.  I tried to keep playing, hoping it was just a stinger or something, but I couldn’t move my arm.  Once I got the diagnosis, I knew it would be an uphill battle trying to make the team only playing at about 60-70% healthy, but I made the attempt.  I ended up being released with an injury settlement, but didn’t know if I would ever get the call to come back.  Once I felt good enough to really kick up the workouts, I worked out 5 days a week trying to stay as big and as fast as possible.  It ended up being a good thing because I got the chance to play again.

HH: Mike Sellers has been in the league a while and over the past few years has really distinguished himself as one of the better fullbacks in the NFC. Have you had a chance to learn much from him about the position?

PS: Mike is one of the best in the business and there isn’t a better person to learn from.  He’s physical, and athletic and a great competitor.  I just try to watch what he does and emulate the best I can.  I figure that is a good place to start…

HH: Fans like to speculate about how awkward it must be when players are potentially battling one another for position. Both you and Nehemiah Broughton are battling for the same position. Is it awkward at all? How have the two of you gotten along throughout?

PS: It is true that this is a business, and you are fighting against each other, but you just have to make the best of the situation.  In this league, there is always someone trying to take your spot, even the starters’ spots.  All I can do is go out and play and let that take care of the rest.  If you get caught up in worrying about roster numbers and how many spots are there etc…It will just consume you and you won’t play well.  I just go out and have fun.  Football is supposed to be fun and I like to keep it that way. 

HH: Having spent some time with the Redskins, who is your closest teammate on the roster?

PS: I lived with Alex Buzbee all last offseason, so him and I are pretty tight.  I also am good buddies with Matt Sinclair and Tyler Ecker.  Also, pretty much all the guys that I came in with as rookies last year are tight.

HH: Chris Cooley mentioned on his blog some of the good natured rookie hazing that goes on occasionally. Did you manage to avoid that?

PS: Besides the occasional helmet and shoulder pad drop off to the rookies by the vets, it wasn’t all that bad.  They might give you a hard time once in a while, but it’s all in good fun.

HH: If Pete Schmitt wasn't playing football, he would be _____?

PS: In grad school for physical therapy or physician assistant.

HH: You have a serious Wikipedia page; in fact it's longer than current Cowboys starting fullback Deon Anderson. It says here you were an all state punter? Are you going to give recent draft pick Durant Brooks and/or Derrick Frost a run for their money?

PS: HAHA…I don’t think that will be happening any time soon, but I do like to think I can still kick that ball around a little bit.  There wasn’t much technique for me in high school.  I just kicked it as hard as I could and I guess it got me the accolades, but I would look like a fool if I lined up with them.

HH: I've never been to Wisconsin and I've only lived in Washington briefly. Has there been much, if any, of a culture shock between living in Wisc. and the District?

PS: It is definitely a different way of life out here.  Everything is different.  I challenge anyone who lives in the D.C. area to live in Whitewater, WI for a year and hear their responses.  I bet they would have a bit of a culture shock.  I loved it in college and wouldn’t change anything about it, but this area definitely has a different feel.

HH: Do you have a favorite hangout/bar/etc. in Washington? If Pete Schmitt does drink, he drinks_____?

PS: I like to go to Sweetwater in the Ashburn area, and any place down by the water in D.C.  -  Gin and tonic or Miller Lite…depends on the mood. [ED. Note by Skin Patrol: There simply wasn't a better way for Pete to have answered the second half of this question. I was raised by a G and T drinker and am currently in an intimate relationship with Miller Lite. Ergo: He must have a great mind.]

HH: Wisconsin-Whitewater was a pretty good D3 team while you were there (with two National Championship appearances). Do you keep in touch with any of your former teammates? Are any of them in the NFL or can There Be Only One?

PS: Some of my best friends are my teammates in college and I still keep in touch with several guys.  One of my best friends from UWW is Derek Stanley and he was drafted by the Rams last year as a WR. He was the first person drafted in history from our school.

HH: Growing up in Wisconsin, who were your NFL heroes (I can't imagine they were Redskins)? Packers, right?

PS: Huge Packers fan growing up.  Brett Favre is a legend in Wisconsin and he was the real deal when I was growing up, in fact, he is the only Packers quarterback I have ever seen.  I vaguely remember Don Majkowski (spelling?), but for the last 17 years Favre has been the man.  My parents did get me an old Doug Williams #17 jersey when I was a kid and I think that pic is floating around the internet somewhere.  So that is kind of odd that I actually get to wear the real jersey now.

HH: We've already mentioned that you're apparently an All-State punter; are you getting much time on special teams right now, or even trying to?

PS: If I were to make the team, special teams would be where I would see the field.  I am on every team there is and I plan on making plays there in order to earn my keep.

HH: You're no slouch when it comes to Tight End, but the team has a pair of guys, in Cooley and Davis, who know a thing or two about that position as well. Do you see yourself returning to tight end at any point, or getting reps at that position?

PS: That was the plan last year, but I think this year is strictly fullback.  Maybe in the future I would love to do that, but right now,  I have to make plays out of the backfield.

HH: You've probably got better hands than the average fullback seeing as you spent so much time in college catching footballs. Have you had an opportunity to perhaps showcase some of your skills at tight end and translate those into fullback? Everybody loves a fullback who can catch out the backfield.

PS: I feel that is my strength.  I feel I can get out of the backfield and make plays with my hands.  I always took pride in catching the ball and I feel that is an area that I can do very well at.  I think I had 3 catches last preseason, so hopefully I can add to that total next year.

HH: My girlfriend and I recently watched Fargo and were discussing it with this elderly women from Michigan. When my girlfriend asked her if that's how people spoke in Michigan, she got offended as if such a suggestion were crazy, since Fargo was South Dakota. Wisconsin is closer to South Dakota then Michigan is. Have you seen Fargo and, if so, are you sporting the killer accent?

PS: It’s funny because if someone isn’t from the Midwest, I think they sound different.  I probably have the typical “Midwestern accent” but I don’t consider it an accent.  I think it’s the right way to talk…ha

HH: You've got a pretty unique skill set. Have you been given the opportunity to line up outside of the traditional fullback spot on offense?

PS: The west coast offense allows multiple formations and it will be fun to see what is possible once the whole offense is installed.  I did some of that last year and hopefully it can continue this year.

My thanks again to Pete Schmitt for answering our questions and we're really pulling for you this offseason, brother. Hail to Pete Schmitt. Cheers.